1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, which may display data such as images and characters, and to an electrical apparatus, such as an image recording device, equipped with such display device.
2. Description of Related Art
A known electrical apparatus, such as a single-function device, e.g. an inkjet printer, copier, or facsimile device, or a multi-function image recording device having a printer function, copier function, scanner function, and facsimile function may be equipped with a display device. The display device may be used for controlling operation of various functions of the device and for informing the user of the current condition of the device or of operation procedures. An example of a known electrical apparatus may be described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-119857.
In a laptop data processing device equipped with the printer disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-119857, the device has a display unit at the top of a main body, and the display unit is equipped with a low-profile touch-screen panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel. The display unit is pivotable between a lying position in which the display unit lies in a substantially horizontal state and a standing position in which the display unit is set such that the touch-screen panel faces forward. A base end of a first link member and a base end of a second link member are connected to a side face of the main body such that the first link member and the second link member are pivotable about a single pivot shaft. The first link member has a free end that is connected, via a hinge, to the display unit movably along an arc-shaped guide groove formed at a front portion of a side face of the display unit. The second link member has a guide pin on a free end thereof, and the guide pin is movably engaged in a guide groove formed in the side face of the display unit to extend in the front-rear direction.
In the known electric apparatus, the pivot shaft is provided with a lock member of a torsion coil spring type. Specifically, when a force that tries to cause the second link member to pivot rearward is smaller than or equal to a predetermined load, the lock member locks the second link member. In contrast, when the force is greater than the predetermined load, the lock member allows the second link member to pivot rearward.
However, regarding the display unit according to the known electric apparatus, the support structure for the display unit is complex and requires a large number of components. Further, when the display unit at the top of the main body pivots to a standing position, the display unit projects upward significantly at the front side of the main body, thus resulting in an increase in the height of the device. Therefore, when the display unit is in its standing position, it may become a hindrance to operations performed with respect to the main body.